Breech-loading fire-arm



I 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1.

D. KIRKWOOD'. Brech Loading Fire Arms..

(No Model.)

No. 233,773; Patented Oct. 26,1380

lN\/ENTEIR WITN'ESEES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. KIRKWOOD.

I Breech Loading Fire-Arm's.

No. 233,773.. v Patented Oct. 26,1880.

I a 98 s; f?

trimmer) STATES ATENT rates.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Application filed August 11, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID KIRKwooD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State-of Massachusetts, have invented certain lmprovements in Self-(locking Breech-Loadin g Fire-Arms, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in explaining its nature.

Figure l is a plan of a portion of a doublebarreled' gun comprising the breech and adjacent parts. Fig. 2 is a view, part in side elevation and part in section, with the side plate of the breech removed, illustrating the con.- struction of my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the mechanism hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is a detail. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line a at of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a detail view, representing the method of attaohing the hammer to the lug on the breech end of the barrel. Fig. 7 represents the hammer and sear in elevation. Fig. 8 represents, in elevation, a modification of the method described of operating the locking-bar.

My invention relates to the class of breechloading guns-either single or double barrelknown as the self-cocking breech'loading guns, in which the hammer is automatically cocked upon the movement of the barrel to expose the breech, and the trigger locked to prevent the accidental discharge of the gun; and it is an improvement thereon,in that the con struct-ion of parts for effecting the self-cocking and for locking the trigger is simpler, less likely to get out 01' order, cheaper, and more easily worked than the construction now employed, as is hereinafter fully described and claimed.

A is the barrel or barrels. It or they is or are hinged or pivoted at a to the breech-piece B, to tilt downwardly at the muzzle, and upwardly at the breech.

O is the hammer. It is pivoted at c to the breech-piece, and its arm 0 bears at its end a horizontal pin or spur, 0 that projects upon the shoulder 0 formed on the locking-lug 0 attached to the part c of the barrel. This shoulder is formed by cutting a recess in the No. 233,773, dated October 26, 1880.

(No model.)

side of the lug, or by attaching a flat piece to its bottom, or in any other desirable way.

The hammer bears, near its striking end, a tumbler-catch, 0 which is adapted to engage with the sear-nose e on the sear l].

The trigger and trigger-spring may be of ordinary construction, or the sear may be in one piece with the trigger.

F is the hammer-spring. The connection between its end f and the hammer is by means of a toggle-link,f, which enters a tapering slot, f in the hammer at the rear of the pivot c. The end of the slot should extend a trifle beyond a horizontal line drawn from the pivot, and when uncooked the end of the togglelink should not extend quite to this horizontal line, in order that provision for the easy play of the toggle may be provided. Any suitable spring t'or giving motion to the hammer may be used in lieu of this; but I prefer a construction that employs a swivel, toggle, or other loose connection between the end of the spring and the hammer.

The operation of this part of my invention is as follows: Upon unlocking the barrel it is turned downwardly at the muzzle, thereby liftin g the breech and lug 0 causing the hammer O to be moved on its pivot sufiiciently to enable the tumbler-catch to engage the sear-nose. The connection between the arm 0 of the hammer and the lug is such that sufficient play is allowed of the pin on the shoulder 0 while the breech is being moved upwardly, and to case this movement the shoulder may be made higher at its outer end, as represented in Fi 2, in order that thesurface on which the pin bears may be somewhat inclined when in a horizontal position. Upon the downward movement of the breech the shoulder c is disengaged from the pin or spur, and the hammer is tripped upon releasing the trigger in the usual way. For a double-barreled gun these parts are duplicated.

The device for locking the trigger before the cooking of the hammer consists in the sliding bar Gr, one end of which projects into a recess, 9, in the side of the stud g, which is operated by the top lever, 9 in retracting the bolt H from the locking-lugs. This recess is of such a shape that upon the partial revolution of the stud the shoulder 9 which forms one side thereof, acts to move the bar horizontally, thereby causing it to move the locking-bar G sufficiently to shut upon the trigger g or sear.

In lieu of the recess in the stud, the stud may have an arm or pin projecting therefrom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for effecting the movement of the sliding bar. The bar has a slot, g and a screw-stud, g, which passes through the slot g in the sliding bar, fastens it to the strap portion of the breech-piece, and allows the bar to slide alimited extent.

There is a loose connection between the locking-bar and sliding bar. The locking-bar is attached to the pivot g", which bears at its outer end the side lever, 9 The trigger may have a notch, h, over which the locking-bar G is moved when tripped, thereby allowing the trigger to be moved upwardly, or it may be moved beyond the end of the trigger. In Fig. 4 I show a modification in construction, whereby the locking-bar is adapted to lock the sear instead of the trigger.

In case the friction of the parts is not sufticient to maintain the locking-bar in position on the trigger or sear after the top lever has moved back to its original position, a spring, 9 of sufficient strength to maintain it in that position, but not sufficiently strong to return it to that position when the side lever, g is moved to disengage the locking-bar, may be used, or the side lever, 9, may be made to bear against the side plate with sufficient stress to In order to engage the barrel with the hammer when it is down or uncooked, the construction of the arm 0 of the hammer, its pin, and the shoulder on the lug may be such that the shoulder may engage with the pin during the downward movement of the barrel, in which event the arm 0 must be made thinner, so as to become a spring and yield laterally in relation to the shoulder to allow it to pass by the pin on the hammer-arm; but I do not con fine myself to this construction.

Of course I do not confine myself to the described connection of the hammer-arm c with the lug 0 but. may connect it by a loose joint having the characteristics of the joint described to any part of the breech of the gun that shall have a movement of any description in relation to the hammer to moveitsufticiently to engage with the sear-nose; and for the-purpose of operating the locking-bar G, I do not confine myself to the mechanism shown, but may use any suitable mechanism employed for locking the barrel to the stock, which has to be moved by hand in unlocking the barrel, so that the barrel may be unlocked from the breech-piece and the locking-bar operated by one movement of lever, push-knob, or button.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a break -down self-cocking gun, the ham mer-arm c, in combination with the lockin g-lug 0 provided with a shoulder, 03, whereby the locking-lug acts directly on the hammerarm, substantially as set forth.

2. In a break-down self-cocking gun, a pivoted trigger-lockin g device, G, in combination with and operated by the barrel-locking lever and slidiu g bar G, substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 7th day of August, 1880.

DAVID KIRKWOOD.

In presence of P. E. TESCHEMACI-IER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

